Global refined Zinc output rises 1.5% to 1.175 mn tons in April: ILZSG

Sulfur physical delivery prices kept the downward trend this week. Market sources say that on June 15, the sulfur transaction price had fallen to yuan 9,500/mt, and on June 16, it rebounded slightly to yuan 9,600/mt, but compared to the peak transaction price of yuan 11,985/mt last Thursday (June 11), the gap has already exceeded yuan 2,000/mt. Today (June 17),SMM EXW Shandong Sulfur were further reduced, to a range of yuan 9,507–10,000/mt, with the average price reported at yuan 9,753.5/mt, down yuan 600/mt from yesterday, and the decline widened markedly. Looking back at recent movements, since June 5, the sulfur price started to rally rapidly from yuan 8,075/mt and on June 8 surged to yuan 9,625/mt, thereafter climbing to last week’s peak before pulling back quickly, causing market sentiment to take a sharp downturn. Currently, downstream buying sentiment is weak. Faced with the rapid price decline, buyers are showing strong wait-and-see sentiment, only maintaining purchases for rigid demand while pushing for lower prices. Support from major downstream demand—phosphate fertilisers and sulphuric acid—is insufficient, and the sulfur market still faces further downward pressure in the near term.

Spot #1 copper cathode in North China was quoted at a discount of 200-140 yuan/mt against the front-month contract, with an average discount of 170 yuan/mt, down 10 yuan/mt from the previous trading day. The average transaction price was 105,155 yuan/mt, up 575 yuan/mt from the previous trading day.